


Of Ebony and Royal Purple

by TokoWH



Category: Legend of Spyro, Spyro
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Promises, Reminiscing, Romance, leaving a mark on the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24454651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TokoWH/pseuds/TokoWH
Summary: With the war over and time marching on, Spyro and Cynder make a promise.
Relationships: Cynder/Spyro the Dragon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Of Ebony and Royal Purple

The passage of time weighs heavily on all of us. Always present, always on our minds, and always pressing forward. Our time only grows shorter with each day passed. Yet, despite it all, we continue forward. For it is all we can do.

Legends made fade. And we can never return to past days. But so long as we keep them in our hearts, they will never truly die.

* * *

The bright light of the sun shone gloriously down on Warfang, it's radiant brown buildings of various shades reflecting its rays and giving off a warm glow. The streets were abustle with the sounds of various dragons and cheetahs alike walking their smooth cobblestone paths, eyes gazing at the various stalls of assorted goods on sale, the lovely scents of freshly cooked or baked foods filling the air with a tantalizing aroma.

In the center, Warfang's grand temple stood. It's imposing spires extending up to the height of mountains, glorious etchings of dragons lining the window seals. Imposing statues of dragonkind in various states of their history darted around its courtyard. Some posing triumphantly, others merely in a lovely and elegant pose, gently offering their paws for the local birds to sit on.

In one of its various spires, Cynder looked down upon the city that surrounded the grounds of the temple. From her vantage point, they all looked like ants, small dots of various shades of red, yellow, blue, and green scurrying about to and fro, their chattering voices of a lively city reaching all the way up to her room. She rested her muzzle on the window seal, her eyes glazed over while she let out a sigh.

Another perfect day, yet she couldn't enjoy it.

Not while she constantly risked being recognized, at least. The town was always a risk; after she helped save the world, she was probably the hottest button topic among those in the city. Half still wanted her head on a pike for what she did as the Terror of the Skies; the other half would defend her with their lives if they had to, feeling facing down her possessor and helping the purple dragon keep the world from tearing asunder was more than enough to make up for her past misdeeds.

Still, every time she went out, she risked ensuing a riot among the populace. It sucked, but what could be done? Some beings are just stubborn in their ways. Sure, she could always just fly to the woods and enjoy her day, but without Spyro to enjoy it with her, it simply wasn't that fun.

She heard a knock against her wooden door, tapping through the room in a rhythmic pattern. She glanced back, a pink dragoness with a tray in her mouth walking towards a table and placing it down, the heart-shaped locket attached to her necklace jiggling the entire way.

"Breakfast is ready, Ms. Cynder." She said, giving a respectful bow.

Cynder closed her eyes, raising her head up with a smile.

"Please, Ember, just call me Cynder." She said.

"Yes, Ms. Cynder- er, Cynder," Ember said, glancing downward while her snout scrunched in embarrassment.

Cynder chuckled. To think Ember had only been around for a month now, yet she had already managed to make it in the running for the next Guardian of Fire. It wasn't too surprising, as Cynder had experienced it first claw that she could defend herself quite handily; she was her mentor for claw to claw combat, after all. Sure, her techniques were still rough and unpolished, as she often left herself open far too often, but she could control her flames unlike any other fire dragon sans Ignitus.

Cynder snorted; she even managed to surprise Spyro a few times when she would practice her fire with him. She still remembered the time he thought he could show off a little by juggling a flame ball against his snout; only for Ember to show him up by juggling three at once. That embarrassed look upon his face, how it sagged while his eyes rested completely dumbfounded at the display, still got a chuckle out of her every time she pictured it.

He was always so cute when his attempts to impress backfired.

"How are you feeling?" Ember asked, tilting her head. "You seemed tired."

"Just a bit frustrated, I suppose," Cynder said, sitting down at the table and graciously taking a bite of the mutton laid upon the tray. "Today would have been perfect to go for a stroll through the forest. Take in the sounds and sights of Avalar… And yet, poor Spyro is stuck inside, forcefully being taught Cyril's family heritage."

Ember tilted her head, her eyes laced with confusion. "I thought he was learning about the ancient history of our species?"

"Well, might as well just be Cyril's family heritage when he's the one teaching it," Cynder said flatly, letting out an annoyed sigh. "Barely a few months after pulling the entire world back together and he hasn't gotten to truly enjoy the peace he's created. Let alone us getting to spend time together. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Cyril was deliberately trying to keep us apart."

Cynder took another bite from the mutton, chewing it slowly while her eyes closed tight in frustration. Ember frowned, sitting down next to the wall.

"That really must be awful," Ember said, closing her eyes. "I could just imagine how exasperating it must be. Not being able to see his smiling face. Touch his tender cheeks. Get to feel those… Toned muscles…"

Cynder snorted as her frown turned into a smirk, Ember about near melting into a pink puddle at the thought of Spyro, a dreamy smile plastered on her face, her eyes closed while her mind wandered away from reality. Before long, Ember's eyes shot open as she quickly raised her forepaws, frantically waving them about while her maw gaped open.

"U-uh that is to say, of course, for you! You are in a relationship with him after all! I was just listing how you probably feel!" Ember said, her voice shaking while a blush pushed its way past the pink scales of her cheeks.

Cynder nearly choked on her food when she let out a guffaw. She forced it down her throat before taking a deep breath. Taking a look at Ember, she gave an understanding smile.

"It's alright Ember. I know you also find him attractive." Cynder said, shaking her head. "Near every dragoness that survived the temple raid does. Do you know how many flirts he's gotten while I was standing right there?"

Ember glanced away, the giant blush on her face only getting redder at the remark. Cynder let out a sigh, placing her paws on the table.

"At least I know you won't try to act on it. You're too kind to try and steal someone else's dragon. Especially a good friend's." She said, her tail twitching behind her playfully.

Ember chuckled, walking over to the table and sitting down with a sheepish smile. Cynder offered her a bite of her food, though she was quick to refuse with a wave of her paw. Cynder insisted that Ember at least take the tea that was present in the bowl next to her meal; she personally never really cared for the stuff, despite how some dragons went crazy for it. At this, Ember found it hard to refuse, moving the bowl off the tray with her paws as best she could and placing it in front of her.

Cynder smiled; it was nice to have another dragoness to talk to. Although she never considered herself particularly 'girly' like some dragonesses, there were simply topics that could not be discussed with a male dragon; try as Spyro might to understand. She huffed; half the topics she could think of would probably send the poor dragon soaring for the hill.

She let out a sigh, stifling her chuckles as best she could. She glanced towards the window, the feelings of merriment sliding away back to a pained longing.

"It is a shame though. If it isn't being cooped up all day having to learn from the Guardians, it's being randomly hit on against his wishes in the rare few moments he can leave the temple." She said, a frown creasing her face.

"That really does sound unfair," Ember said, placing her claws on the table. "We only have a limited amount of time left in this world. We should spend it with those we love; not bickering over others."

Cynder nodded, looking over with a faint smile.

"My only solace is knowing that once we become spirits, we'll finally be able to spend all the time together we want." She said, closing her eyes. "Of course, hopefully by then we'll have lived long and full lives and got to have some wonderful moments together in the meantime."

"Y-yeah…" Ember sighed, her gaze cast towards her sullen reflection in the tea.

Cynder opened her right eye, Ember's body sagging as if a ten-pound sack had been placed upon her back.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, just…" Ember closed her eyes. "Just something dumb I really shouldn't be worried about right now, according to the Guardians."

"Well, if it's upsetting you this much, then clearly it must not be dumb," Cynder said, leaning against the table. "So what is it?"

"It's just… Something I think of from time to time." Ember said, glancing up with her eyes full of worry. "You know how it's said that a dragon spirit reincarnates every few years?"

"Yeah? So?" Cynder tilted her head, scaled brows furrowing in confusion.

"Even if that is true… We really only truly live once when you think about it, don't we?" Ember asked, leaning over and taking a sip of her tea.

Cynder huffed. "What do you mean? Do you not believe in spirits?"

"I do!" Ember said, leaning back up with a panicked frown. "You and Spyro can account to seeing them first hand; they are what ultimately sealed away Malefor for good! But…"

She sighed, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "Is who I am as a spirit the same as me? The me that's currently sitting here talking to you?"

"Of course!" Cynder said, resting her head upon her paws with a smirk. "Ember, you're being silly here."

"It's not silly, though!" Ember snapped, slamming her paws against the table as she jolted up, hot tea splashing against the refined wood.

Cynder's eyes went wide at the sudden outburst. Ember took a few deep breaths, before sliding back down into her seat. She shook her head, before glancing towards the window.

"Just… Hear me out." She said. "I am who I am because of the circumstances of my birth. I was born late after the temple raid had taken place. Because both of my parents were skilled fire dragons, I learned how to control my element at a young age. They were also very forgiving; they knew the circumstances of your birth simply by putting two and two together. And they taught me not to hold it against you since it was out of your control…"

Cynder frowned, her eyes starting to glaze over while a gentle breeze blew the windows, rustling the purple curtains resting at its side.

"But… What if I hadn't been born late?" Ember asked, turning back to Cynder. "What if I had been born with my clutch? What if I was present at the temple raid?" She took a deep breath. "And what if you had been born late? There may very well have been a good chance that I would be the one sitting where you are right now, and you telling me your worries about life…"

Cynder rose up, her eyes wide yet unreadable. Her lips couldn't smile, yet they refused to frown either. She hated to admit it, but there was some truth to Ember's words. She closed her eyes, before letting out an exhale.

"Well, that isn't the case now, is it?" Cynder asked, managing to force a smile. "The Guardians are always going on about how things happen for a reason. Why fate decides our paths in life. Only Spyro is truly immune to it, or so they claim." She placed a paw to her chest, briefly grimacing. "I may not be… Happy with what was decided for my childhood, yet I still feel like I'm a stronger dragon because of it."

"That's not the point, though," Ember said, shaking her head. "Who we are now was decided because of how we were born and raised. As such, can we say we'll truly be the same when we are reborn anew, in a new set of circumstances surrounding our birth? That we'll be the same as we are now?"

Cynder paused. She opened her mouth to say something, yet couldn't find the words to respond with. Ember glanced back towards the window, a solemn frown upon her face.

"In my next life, I might be different. It may be something as simple as not liking tea. It may be something as large as not even being a girl." She said, turning back towards Cynder. "And we might not ever see each other again outside of this life we're both currently living. And even if we do find each other again in our next lives, would we still be friends? Circumstances might drive us to actively hate each other."

"We'll still be friends in our next life!" Cynder said with narrowed green eyes, a determined fire alite in them.

"But how can you say for certain?" Ember asked, tilting her head.

"Because… I just know we will!" Cynder said, her claws scraping against the desk. "Spirits can be drawn to one another. Dragons in their last moments of life often report seeing the spirits of family and loved ones before they die! Just because our friendship in this life will be over when we die, doesn't mean it'll be over for good!"

Ember opened her eyes in shock. Her maw hung in a small circle, while the tears that began to form in her eyes started to dry away. A smile returned to her face; as did Cynder's. Sitting back down, Cynder looked at her with comforting eyes.

"Feeling better now?" She asked.

"Y-yeah. Maybe a little." Ember said, wiping away a tear. "I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this… But that did help."

Cynder nodded. "Just remember. No matter who we are in our next lives, we're all still the same in the end. And we'll always be friends."

Ember breathed a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, a smirk creeping onto her face. She stood up and walked over to Cynder, taking her paw in her own.

"Alright…" She said. "It's a great day outside. You should probably be enjoying it with your mate."

"Huh?" Cynder asked, tilting her head. "I already said I'd like to but-"

"I know," Ember said, a playful glint in her sky blue eyes. "Let's just say as a future Guardian, I'm enforcing my authority a bit early."

Cynder raised a scaled brow, confusion wrat all over her face soon to be wiped away by Ember pulling her along out into the hall.

As they raced down the smooth granite floor, something about Ember's words started to sting at Cynder's heart. Though she was sure they would meet again in a future life, her argument about the circumstances still refused to leave the back of her mind. Try as she might, she couldn't find any good argument beyond 'they won't'. Surely they'd still be friends no matter what the era if they were friends now.

Yet, oddly, all she could think of was the war when that thought crossed her mind. The apes, the well of souls, Malefor… If none of that had happened, would she still have met Spyro? Would they have even gotten along? Would Spyro have found a different mate? With the countless living beings and countless spirits that inhabited their world, surely it must have been impossible for them to always end up with who they loved in a previous life?

Cynder's expression sullen, the mere thought making her heart sink.

* * *

"As you can clearly see, Spyro," Cyril said, his claws tapping at his throat while frost cascaded it from his lips. "The ancients were quite skilled even back then. Despite living in caves like primitives, they were also quite the creative bunch."

Spyro cleared his throat, eyes gazing at the scroll. He looked at the crosshatched dragon sitting by a cave wall with some odd tube held to its mouth. In front of it was a half-drawn dragon with its wings spread sprawled on the wall, several smaller painted dragons flying around it.

"Despite not even having elements back then, they would still find ways to create," Cyril said, looking towards the rock next to the desk Spyro sat at, having been ferried in earlier that day by an earth dragon. "Of course, we have no need for such primitive methods of creating art. With the elements we possess, we can create art in ways they had never envisioned."

Cyril tapped a claw against the rock, frost cascading off it as an icy blue color stained its surface. It darted out in five different directions, each one branching off like leaves on a tree. Cyril pulled his claw away, the etched snowflake sprawled where he had tapped. Spyro looked on in awe, his eyes wide. Cyril chuckled.

"Now, Spyro," he said, "you give it a try. Just touch your paw to the rock, and focus on whatever element you wish. Concentrate on the form and it should begin to take shape on its surface."

Spyro trotted over to the rock. With a careful touch, he placed his paw upon it and closed his eyes. Deep inside him, he shifted through his elements, trying to find the right combination to get the correct hue. He huffed; yes, that combination should be right. Exhaling, a royal purple color sprawled out against the rock. It took the shape of a circle at first, bumps forming at right and left sides. From the top, two zigzagging lines sprouted, thick yet sharp in their movement. The bottom began to smooth into a point, while two circles were left untouched in its center.

Pulling his paw away, he opened his eyes. His initial hopeful smile faded, replaced with a disappointed frown. The upper head was far too round; his cheeks were far too pointed and the horns looked more like that of an electric dragon than his. Even the eyes were lopsided, one far bigger than the other. Cyril chuckled, offering his gentle wing against his back.

"Do not fear, Spyro," Cyril said, looking down with an amused smile. "No one is born an artist. It's a skill that must be developed over time. Why, my own great, great grandfather took a while to become as skilled as he did. Born in-"

Internally, Spyro groaned. He dared not talk back to his teacher; if not for him, he never would have gotten as far with his ice element in the first place. And he was a respectful dragon at heart; Ignitus had taught him that long ago.

But Cyril's teachings were always in  _ short bursts. _ It was only the third day of extended lessons in the history and culture of dragonkind and already he wanted to break a wall and fly the heck out of dodge. If Cyril wasn't going off-topic with hour-long ego-stroking of his extended and long family tree, he was talking about his own accomplishments for hours and hours on end about his own pedigree and accomplishments. Spyro took a deep breath; learning about the culture of his kind was something he had no problem with, so long as it was about  _ dragons in general. _

He could only keep his poker face up for so long. If he had to listen to another one of Cyril's long-winded stories about his  _ lineage  _ one more time, he feared his darker half would burst forth an-

"Cyril! Cyril!"

Ember slammed the doors of the chamber open, the golden handles clanking against their wooden surface while she panted heavily. Her eyes darted all around the room, before coming to rest upon Cyril. Cyril quickly rushed over to her, practically releasing a blizzard with his gaping maw.

"Ember? What is the matter?" He asked, "what's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"

"It's Volteer!" She shouted, clasping her paws together before looking back at the hallway. "Somehow he got the idea in his head that all the books in Warfang's grand library should be organized by the date they were published and not alphabetically! Now he's trying to gather dragons to help him reorganize the entire thing!"

"WHAT!?" Cyril gasped, his eyes going wide. He scowled, his fangs bared while he let out a low growl. "Oh, that babbling nincompoop! He's going to ruin the entire thing!"

Spyro did his best to hold in his laughter. It was disrespectful to laugh at one's teachers, after all. However, after spending the whole day listening to Cyril going on and on in that haughty, undisguisable tone of his, hearing him more graveled than Terrador couldn't help but put a smirk on his face.

Cyril glanced back at Spyro, rubbing his temples with his claws.

"I'm sorry, Spyro, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to step out of this lesson for a bit." He said before he gazed forward with a pained grimace. He let out a long, annoyed sigh. "I have an idiotic numbskull one bath away from short-circuiting to deal with…"

With that, Cyril charged out of the room, muttering things like 'caffeinated hummingbird' and 'lightning brained nitwit'.

The second he was out of earshot, Spyro couldn't hold it in anymore, finally busting out in cathartic laughter, tears forming in his eyes while a weight felt like it was lifted from his chest. The laughter found itself short-lived when it was cut off by a yelp. He felt himself fall back, engulfed in a dark yet inviting shadow. He could just make out the familiar green eyes of his love, holding a claw in front of her maw.

Ember watched as the shadow darted towards a nearby window, flowing over its window seal and out into the gorgeous day ahead. She winked and stuck her tongue out seconds before they left, before rushing after Cyril with a playful roll of her eyes.

* * *

"Come on! Don't tell me all those history lessons have caused you to slow down after all these months!" Cynder shouted, looking back with a playful smirk.

Spyro huffed, a wide grin on his face while he pumped his wings with everything he had. The duo flew in between the trees, wind whistling around them while leaves followed their trail like they were the warm summer's breeze itself. Cynder zigged towards the nearby river, dipping her wing in its shimmer blue splendor and kicking up a stream of water that rained upon Spyro's face. Cynder laughed at the sight of Spyro wiping his face off with his paws, the purple dragon looking towards her with a determined glint in his eyes and a playful smirk on his face that near reached his cheeks.

The rushing of a waterfall reverberated through the air as they soared along. Cynder looked forward, the sun's rays reflecting off the falling water and sparkling like the stars at night. As it quickly approached, she beat her wings, flying straight up like a rocket, Spyro trailing behind her.

"Last one up the waterfall is a hatchling!" She shouted, gazing back with a grin and her emerald eyes reflecting the sparkles of the falls.

Spyro smirked, pushing his wings rapidly, quick to catch up to Cynder's side. He glanced over to her with a playful smirk.

"You fool!" He said in a joking manner. "You may be quicker at flying forward, but I've always been better than you when it comes to ascending upward!"

"Oh really?" Cynder said with a playful brow raised, her lips curled in a mischievous smile. "Sorry to break it to you, but I have a secret weapon!"

Spinning around, a sudden gust of wind burst forth, shooting Cynder upward in an instant as she spun like a drill. Spyro chuckled at the sight, narrowing his eyes and diving into the waterfall. The water bent around him, propelling him up like a jetski. Cynder saw him rapidly approaching and grinned at the challenge.

"Oh, so you  _ have  _ been learning some new tricks!" She said, looking towards the mountainside. "Still, bet you can't catch me!"

Darting towards the cliff face, she dived into her shadow and began to circle around the face of the cliff at blazing speed. Spyro huffed, charging forward and heading straight into the mountain itself, moving through the stone and dirt as if it were as fluid as water.

Cynder's shadow wormed its way up to the top with ease, coming to rest by a cave the water poured from. From inside her elemental cover, she practically beamed. It was perfect! There's no way Spyro would find her there! She darted inside, coming to rest within its shadows on the cave wall. Now, all she needed to do was to remain perfectly still and wait-

She paused, a sudden rumbling behind her.

"Got ya!" Spyro shouted, jumping out of the wall her shadow clung from with outstretched forelimbs, rocks and dust being tossed everywhere.

Cynder barely had a second to react, just able to move out of the way in time as Spyro touched down on the cave floor. Not missing a beat, Cynder jumped from her shadow, falling onto Spyro's back with a roarous laughter.

"No!" She shouted, wrapping her wings around him. " _ I _ got  _ you _ !"

"And yet," Spyro said, gently nuzzling against her face. "I still feel like the one who won."

The two chuckled, foreheads lovingly touched against one another. Cynder licked Spyro's cheek, before sliding her head to his chest. Spyro let out a deep sigh, his eyes closed and a wide smile of relief on his face.

"Thank you, Cynder." He said, "I really needed this."

"Heh, well, it wasn't all my idea," Cynder said, glancing up with a smirk. "Ember's the one who had the idea of getting Volteer and Cyril riled up. When those two go at it, they could be there until the sun comes up." She snorted. "Though, I  _ did  _ give Volteer the idea of reorganizing the Warfang library."

Spyro laughed; a much-welcomed reprieve from the last three days. Cynder raised her head, looking longingly into Spyro's eyes as he did hers. The two leaned forward, lips embracing each other's warm touch. Although it was sweet, something couldn't help but sting at Cynder's heart. As she pulled back, her gaze darted from his, a solemn frown creasing her face.

"What's wrong?" Spyro asked, tilting his head with a concerned glance. "Are you starting to feel bad about…"

"No. It's not that." Cynder said, shaking her head. "It's… It's something Ember said, I guess."

"Hm?" Spyro blinked, curiosity filling his purple eyes. "What did she say?"

"Well, she was feeling a bit down this morning. She was talking about our spirits and how they are eventually reborn into the world…" Cynder took a deep breath. "I managed to help her calm down, but now she's got me thinking about it."

"What's there to think about?" Spyro asked, a comforting smile on his warm and welcoming face. "It's just how our world works. Once we move on to the spirit realm, one day we'll return to the physical realm. It's as simple as that."

"Yeah, but…" Cynder said, placing her paw on Spyro's cheek. "Do you think we'll still be together when that happens? That we'll meet each other in our next lives…" Cynder paused, glancing away. "Will we still… Love each other?"

"What? Of course!" Spyro said, raising his own paw towards her cheek and making her look him in the eyes. "We will! How could I not fall for you no matter how many times we come back to this world?"

"Because we won't have the war," Cynder said, a defeated cold chill to her tone while she closed her eyes.

"What?" Spyro asked, head reeling back while his jaw hung in flabbergasted disbelief.

"It's just…" Cynder lowered her head, letting out a sigh. "The situation we were placed in. It was impossible for us to  _ not  _ interact or meet each other. And if it weren't for everything that happened to me, would you honestly-"

"Yes," Spyro said, cutting off Cynder with a nod, his eyes full of a loving determination. "Yes, I would."

"How could you be so sure?" Cynder asked, looking towards him with a frown. "Let's face it. If it hadn't been for how pitiful I was at the temple, would you have even bothered to talk to me? Would you have just kept your distance like most of the Guardians?"

"I would have talked to you regardless of how you were back then," Spyro said, placing his paw on hers while also entwining their tails. "Cynder. Let me make this clear. I never pitied you."

"Oh, come on…" Cynder muttered, her voice shaking like the leaves of a tree in the wind, all the while finding it impossible to make eye contact with her love.

"It's the truth," Spyro said, leaning forward and licking Cynder's cheek. "When you were at the temple, if anything, I was surprised at how well you were managing to keep yourself together. You're strong Cynder; easily the strongest dragon I know. In truth…" Spyro's eyes briefly shifted to the side. "I… Envied you."

"Huh?" Cynder asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Once again, it's the truth," Spyro said, giving a nod. "Remember that one night at the temple? Before the night of eternal darkness was even a worry in our minds? I do. Because of how important it was to me. To both of us…"

* * *

" _ I wasn't having the best dream that night. I don't if Malefor had already managed to start messing with me at that point, or if the stress of the situation I was in had started to sink in." _

Spyro walked down the pathway towards the temple with an extra spring in his step, practically whistling as he dug his claws deep into the dirt, Sparx ever faithfully glowing brightly by his side. He looked up towards the bright blue sky, the warm rays of the sun bright with a hopeful warmth.

" _ At that age, I still had a childlike wonder in regards to everything. 'Wow! I'm a special dragon! And I get to have adventures every day! This is the best!'" _

_ The child-like mocking tone in his voice managed to get a small chuckle out of Cynder, to which he found a grin creep its way onto his face. It wasn't for long, however. _

" _ One cannot stay a child forever, though…" _

"Ignitus! I'm back!" Spyro shouted as he entered the grand hall of the temple, his voice echoing far and wide. He blinked; the temple was completely silent. Not even a rustle from the leaves, nor the chirps of the Vineweeds that normally lurked outside to be heard. A chill shot down his spine as he took several steps inside. He could feel it; something was wrong.

"I-Ignitus?" He asked, his voice trembling like he had fallen into a frozen river at Dante's Freezer.

The door slammed shut behind him with a crashing boom, louder than any explosion, any cannon, any volcano eruption. He spun around, eyes wide at the six or seven apes behind him. He instinctively got into the lowered posture Ignitus had taught him, ready to meet the charge.

But then, the apes began to give a low, deep cackle. Melting out of one another like putty, they started to multiply, each one dividing further at a rapid pace. Spyro's eyes went wide as the hall soon became flooded by an army of apes. He glanced towards a nearby window, readying his wings for an escape. He gasped, more apes flooding in through the window like a waterfall. The demonic cackles got louder with each second, the apes lunging forward like a typhoon.

Spyro let out a horrified yell, rushing down the hall as fast as his paws could carry him. He dared to take a glance back at the melding wave of fur, teeth, and clawed hands that reached out towards him, bare inches away from grabbing his tail. He beat his wings with as much might as he could muster, flying down the hallway at breakneck speeds, yet this only made the abomination chasing him pick up the pace, the gap only getting shorter.

He heard a horrifying, blood-curdling scream. He looked back, Sparx in one of the monster's many hands being forcefully shoved into its countless mouths, the horrid crunching of bones only drowned out by Sparx's wails of agony.

"SPARX!" He shouted at the top of his legs, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. He looked forward, teeth gritted in pure and utter terror. He closed his eyes, his entire body shaking like a fly trapped in a spider's web. "IGNITUS! HELP ME!"

He heard yet another symphony of heart-shattering screams of pain. He glanced to the right, only getting a glimpse of the room as he raced by. Yet what he saw made his blood run cold.

Ignitus, Volteer, Cyril, and Terrador, all trying in vain to fight back against this Eldritch being. The intense heat of fire, the crackle of electricity, the sub-zero-touch of ice, and even the crushing weight of earth itself did little to slow the creature's advance. It surrounded them, flooding over them like a drowning chamber, tearing at their wings and biting at their scales.

Spyro's jaw hung agape, tears streaming from his eyes as he flew faster and faster, the walls of the temple blurring into a blazing inferno. He looked back, the temple now a deep, black void with an endless trail of flames illuminating around him. The creature rocketed forward at an illogical speed, all the while a large set of glowing yellow eyes watched from the distance.

He let out a scream that carried for miles, yet none would reply. In his reflected eyes, all he could do is watch the uncountable numbers of teeth and hands lung at him.

It was then he awoke, his eyes shooting open and his breaths shallow and erratic. He rose up; the dull yellow glow of his adopted brother sprawled out on the ground while the Guardians slept adjacent to the doors. He let out a sigh, his limbs still trembling like the ground itself was shaking.

" _ It was really beginning to hit me around that time," Spyro said, closing his eyes. "Still a youngling, yet expected to fight a much older dragon with the same powers as me, only far more skilled... On top of having an entire army behind him." He sighed, opening his eyes and looking at Cynder with a frown. "Needless to say, I was terrified. I did my best not to show it, but not a day went by did I not dread that eventual confrontation." _

Spyro tiptoed out of the room on his claws, headed towards the temple's balcony. He looked out the endless expanse of orange trees, illuminated by the light of the two autumn moons. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His wings slowly extended as he stood up upon the balconies railing.

" _ You may not have known it… But you weren't the only one who was contemplating running away back then. Flying as far away as their wings could take them." _

_ Cynder blinked, her eyes wide in shock. "R-really?" _

" _ Really," Spyro said with a nod. "I was just about ready to do exactly that, when…" _

In the quiet of the night, he heard several taps against the stone floor of the temple. Gasping, he quickly jumped down onto the balcony, looking back with surprised eyes. From behind the archway, Cynder poked her head. She paused, her eyes locking with Spyro's for the briefest of moments before she quickly backpedaled.

"N-no! It's alright!" Spyro said, making quick haste back towards the temple. "If you want to come out here, you can! Don't be afraid just because I'm here!"

His voice was cut by silence, only the hoots of owls reminding him he was awake. The moments that passed felt like an eternity yet, slowly, Cynder began to poke her head out from the archway yet again. With shaky steps, she made her way towards Spyro, her eyes darting around her head, focusing on everything they could that wasn't him.

With a kind smile, Spyro sat down.

"So…" He muttered, tilting his head. "W-why are you up so late?"

"I could ask the same for you," Cynder said, her words more forceful than she had intended; something that made her immediately flinch.

Spyro chuckled, waving his paw in the air.

"Fair point." He said with a sigh, glancing towards the nearby trees to his right. "I… I had a bad dream. Woke me up."

"... Same." Cynder said, her gaze cast down towards the ground.

The two sat there, the nighttime orchestra of animals and foliage serenading the duo under the two moons light. Spyro felt an inch at his back, that awkward sensation when one is unsure what to say. For the briefest of moments, Cynder's eyes looked at him, before she took a deep breath and got to her paws.

"You know, w-when I can't sleep… I found a place that helps me calm down." She said, claws uncomfortably tapping at the ground. "I can show it to you… I-if you want, of course."

Spyro looked at her with surprise clouded over his eyes, Cynder doing her best to maintain eye contact as much as she could. With a warm smile, Spyro nodded.

"That would be nice." He said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"O-okay then!" Cynder said, turning around towards the temple. She took a few steps, awkwardly glancing back every once in a while to make sure Spyro was still following her.

They tiptoed through the temple, silently walking passed the Guardians as they made their way down the halls and towards the forest nearby. Cynder zig and zagged through trees, at one point even shuffling through a fallen over and hollowed-out tree trunk; which Spyro struggled to fit through. As they continued their walk against the course dirt, he couldn't help but raise a curious scaled brow, Cynder never seemingly coming to a stop along this odd trail she blazed.

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it as soon as Cynder took a look back towards him. She placed her claws against the bush in front of her, opening it up and awkwardly motioning with her snout for Spyro to step inside. Although he paused in confusion, his head tilted at the sight, he soon complied, pushing his way past the cool leaves.

His eyes went wide when he stepped onto the other side, the calm and clear lake reflecting the stars that shone down from above, shimmering in the moonlight as it remained still and calm like the wind was. Spyro looked back at Cynder with a wide smile.

"This is beautiful." He said, looking back towards the lake. "I had no idea there was a lake like this so close to the temple."

Cynder smiled; it was a forced, awkward attempt at one, but she still did her best to maintain it. With tiny steps, she walked towards Spyro's side, pointing towards the other side of the lake with a shaky claw. Spyro raised a scale brow but nonetheless complied, squinting his eyes towards the other side.

At first, there was only the darkness of the forest, the silhouettes of trees completely still like cardboard cutouts of props in a play. His jaw began to open as a single blue light began to make its presence known, illuminating the trunk of a tree like an ember. Then another one lit up on the tree, before another one, and another one. His eyes went wide, the entire forest aglow in a calm, deep blue.

The lights took to the air, flowing like an ethereal ribbon of magic over the lake, twirling and swirling in the air in a cascade of harmony. Narrowing his eyes, he could make out the faint traces of butterfly wings within the lights. He grinned, looking over towards Cynder.

"This is incredible!" He said, "how did you find this place?"

Cynder shuffled her paws uncomfortably, glancing at the green blades of grass on the ground. She jumped, the wave of blue swirling by next to her. Her ebony scales shimmered in the light while she watched the lights zoom back to the air, her emerald eyes bright in the moonlight.

A smile crept onto Spyro's face at the sight. He leaned over, placing his paw atop one of hers. She jumped, looking over with wide, surprised eyes. Spyro tilted his head and blinked, the smile never leaving his face. Cynder looked at him with an unreadable expression; yet, for the first time since she had joined the temple, a genuine smile soon mirrored Spyro's own.

The two dragons looked back at the dance of butterflies in the air, sliding onto the ground next to each other while enchanted by its splendor. It didn't take long for Cynder to be lulled back into a sleepy embrace, her head rested on the ground while her body moved softly up and down in time with her breaths. Spyro chuckled, draping a wing over her with tired eyes, letting the night take him as well.

" _ Despite already having gone through such a horrible situation, you were still able to find ways to stand. To face it as best you could." Spyro said, looking at Cynder with a grin. "And even with everything, you were dealing with… You did your best to help me when I was feeling overwhelmed. Even to this day, you still go out of your way to help pick me up when I'm down, despite everything you're still dealing with." _

* * *

Spyro glanced up to the cave ceiling, taking a deep breath. "I look to you for strength a lot. Especially after Ignitus…"

Cynder moved forward, placing her head against Spyro's chest. Spyro let his chin rest upon her forehead, his eyes closed tightly as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He took a deep breath, pulling back and looking Cynder in the eyes.

"You are the strongest, kindest, and gentlest dragon I know…" Spyro paused, exhaling as he moved his head away, looking Cynder in the eyes with a smile. "And you continue to show all of that time and time again… And that's why I love you. Not because of the war; but because of who you are."

Cynder chuckled, Spyro gently licking her forehead. She snuggled against him, a reassuring smile on her face as she closed her eyes.

"If I am all of that, then let it be known that it was because you inspired me to keep going." She said, rubbing her paw against his. "And not just me. You inspire everyone around you to never give up hope. To always keep pushing forward, no matter what the odds may be."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that's because I'm the purple dragon," Spyro said, his expression sullen as he looked out towards the evening sun. "People take one look at me and expect me to fix everything wrong with the realms without fail…"

"It's not just because you're a purple dragon, though," Cynder said, gently pressing her paw against his cheek and making him turn his gaze towards her own. She smirked, giving a playful huff. "Listen, because now I have a story from the temple to tell you."

* * *

" _ In that first month in the temple, to say I was… Reserved would be an understatement. I was terrified of doing anything that could be perceived as suspicious by the Guardians and, by all accounts, was functionally mute." _

Cynder tiptoed through the halls of the temple, her gaze darting around at every object she passed. A random chunk of rock that had broken due to the temples decay, a flower on a vine that passed through one of the various windows, to eventually resting upon an archway leading to another room, the symbols of aether tracing it along its frame. She paused, hearing hushed whispers coming from the room.

"... I'm just saying, Ignitus. She may be a child, and she may be freed, but there is also a very real chance the Dark Master may still have his sick and twisted claws around her. Even if he can't control her directly anymore, he could still be using her eyes and ears to spy on us."

"So what do you expect us to do, Cyril? Throw a poor, defenseless child into the woods to fend for herself? Spyro used all of his mana to free her from her horrible state; from which he is still recuperating. The least we can do is give her a home; ancestors know the adversity she'll face once news of who she is gets out."

Cynder frowned, leaning against the wall while she closed her eyes.

" _ In hindsight, I can't say I blame them for being concerned. That was something I worried about frequently, too." _

She heard an exhausted huff echo from the room, the shadows of the Guardians projected into the hall.

"Volteer? Is something the matter?"

"Forgive me, Ignitus, but I must confess to the feelings of overwhelming that has been scampering around my prefrontal cortex for the rapidly expansive number of days that have passed."

"In English, Volteer."

Cynder watched Cyrils shadow place a claw to his forehead. One of the shadows hunched over; more than likely Volteer's, she thought to herself. A low sigh carried into the hall.

"I am feeling overwhelmed by this war."

The shadows of the Guardians all jolted, glancing at one another in surprise. Cyril's shadow turned to Volteer's.

"D-... Did you just speak in the proper dragon's tongue?"

"Forgive me, but I simply do not have the energy to bring my usual enthusiasm to this meeting."

"You mean you  _ choose  _ to speak like that!?"

"Now's not the time, Cyril."

Terrador's shadow seemed to give a sharp glare at Cyril's, who in turn looked away. Despite the lack of details, just by the hunched over posture alone, it was easy for her to tell that Cyril was scowling.

"Please, Volteer. If you are feeling out of sorts, don't hold it in. We need to be on our guard at all times."

"That's just it. Having to be on guard constantly is starting to take its toll. How many times have we fought the apes, pushed them back, only for them to strike again even harder? Cynder, bless her poor soul, did show us we're far from invincible. What's to stop the Dark Master from corrupting yet another unfortunate soul to fight us?"

The Guardian's all glanced around at each other, the silence as thick as the mud in the swamp that was downstream of the temple. Volteer's shadow shuffled slightly.

"With each passing day, the end of this war seems further and further away; and if it does end, it likely won't be good for us. Yes, we have a purple dragon of our own now, but Spyro is still a  _ child _ . No child should go through this."

"Believe me, Volteer, if we had the luxury, Spyro would be as far away from the battlefields as possible."

Ignitus shadow raised its paw, which soon became one with Volteer's hunched over form. Volteer's shadow raised its head, glancing over to Ignitus'. Cyril and Terrador shuffled about uncomfortably, glancing at each other before back to Ignitus and Volteer.

" _ I… I had no idea," Spyro said, glancing towards the ground with a frown. _

" _ They did their best to try and hide their fears from you. From both of us." Cynder said, closing her eyes. "But, even if they are the masters of their respective elements… They are also still living beings. And living beings feel fear, no matter how old or wise they may be." _

"Maybe… Maybe we should just take Spyro and Cynder, and fly far away. To the furthest ends of our world. Let them live as normal lives as they can."

"You know that's impossible, Volteer."

Terrador's shadow got up and walked towards Volteer's side.

"The Dark Master has eyes and ears everywhere. It wouldn't matter how far we could fly; so long as Spyro is alive, he will keep looking. Searching. The only reason he hasn't found us yet is that he and his troops believe this temple had long since been abandoned because of the raid. And I suspect it won't take them long to eventually trace Spyro back to here regardless."

At this, all the Guardian's shadows began to sag, each in their own way. Ignitus' paw slowly slid off of Volteer's back. Cyril glanced towards the nearest window, his paw raised to his throat. Terrador's posture shifted ever so slightly at the thought, and Volteer just sunk lower than he already was. The silence was deafening; even the wind seemed to sullen at the thought.

The shadow of Ignitus' head shot up as the faint flapping of wings started to grow louder by the second. He looked towards his fellow Guardians with wings outstretched.

"I can hear Spyro coming. Everyone, not a word about this!"

Cynder opened her eyes, pulling away from the wall, curiosity tickling at the back of her mind. She stood still, her neck tingling while her stomach unsettled, fluttering like it was filled by butterflies. She shook, taking a deep breath before daring to poke her head out from the doorframe.

She watched as Spyro landed down in the room with a big grin, rushing over to Ignitus' side. The Guardian of fire placed his giant yet gentle paw behind him, a warm smile disguising the discourse of only moments ago.

"Welcome back, young one." He said. "I trust the flight course we set up for you is proving serviceable?"

"It is, Ignitus," Spyro said with a nod. "I've been getting a lot better at having to make sharp turns. It's a shame that none of you could come this time."

"Do not worry, Spyro," Terrador said, looking over towards Volteer. "We just had some things we needed to discuss. Right, Volteer?"

Volteer's posture had already returned to its strong and proud stance befitting a Guardian; and yet, he didn't reply. All he could do was nod his head, the fake smile upon his face held with all his might.

Cynder couldn't help but frown for him.

" _ I knew how he felt at that moment. It's easier to keep silent than to try and force enthusiasm. Especially when you have a lot on your mind." _

" _ Cynder…" _

_ Spyro leaned forward, pressing his cheek against hers. She let out a contented sigh, before breaking the embrace and looking him in the eyes. _

" _ Thankfully, it didn't last much longer. For either of us." _

"By the way, I found something while I was out!" Spyro said, glancing back towards the door he flew in through. "Come on Sparx! Bring it in!"

"Why the heck do  _ I  _ have to be the one to carry this!?" Sparx moaned.

Fluttering in through the door, faltering every few inches. He briefly fell down, only to catch himself before hitting the ground. Forcing himself back up while carrying a ball of hay that was held together by several strands of rope, he gave an exhausted groan.

"If anyone could take this from me I'd really... UGH, appreciate it!" He shouted, looking around the room.

Cyril huffed, batting the ball off of him. It bounced against the ground, rolling along before Spyro took it in his paws. Ignitus glanced down at it, a genuine look of amazement on his face while he gave a large grin.

"Well, I'll be." He said, lowering his head to get a better view. "A headball! I haven't seen one of these in ages!"

"Headball?" Spyro asked, tilting his head. "What's headball?"

"An activity young dragons like to play," Ignitus said, poking the ball with a claw and tossing it in the air. "Observe!"

With a swift motion, Ignitus headbutted the ball over the pool of visions and towards Terrador. Giving an amused huff, he bounced the ball off his head, sending it straight up and balancing it on his head for a few seconds, before tossing it over towards Cyril. Smirking, Cyril headbutted it towards Volteer in a swift motion. Despite his nerves, he bounced the ball upward, juggling it up and down on his head for several seconds before bopping it back where Spyro's paws rested.

Spyro beamed at the sight, eyes wide full of wonderment. "Wow!"

"As you can tell," Ignitus said with a chuckle. "We  _ may  _ have played it quite a bit in our youth."

"Played?" Cyril asked, a smug smirk on his face as he raised a brow. "I only remember winning."

"Says the dragon who would cheat by using his powers to make the playing field an ice rink," Terrador said, his eyes narrowing at his fellow Guardian.

"Oh please. And the 'conveniently placed rocks' have nothing to do with you, I'm sure," Cyril said, looking over with a huff.

Ignitus laughed, eliciting a chuckle out of Volteer. From behind the doorframe, Cynder stood wide-eyed, absolutely bewildered at the sight.

" _ When I thought of the Guardians, I often thought of them as regal, imposing figures. To see them acting like a bunch of younglings… It was odd, to say the least." _

" _ Clearly, you hadn't yet seen Cyril and Volteer bicker," Spyro said, a sly look in his eyes. _

_ Cynder chuckled. "Indeed. I wouldn't learn of that little useful tidbit until much later." _

"Sounds fun!" Spyro said, glancing up at Ignitus. "Can you teach me how to play?"

"I don't see why not," Ignitus said, batting the ball towards the training area. He got up, a playful grin on his face as he looked down at Spyro. "With all the training you've been doing, some play might just be what we all need."

As she watched them head towards the training room, Cynder slinked her way behind them, standing behind the doorframe yet again. She watched them begin to take sides, Ignitus standing just in front of the door while Volteer sat at the edge of the archway towards the balcony. Terrador and Cyril sat against the walls of the training room, watching with amused smiles as Spyro sat in the middle, Sparx at his side.

"The goal of the game is quite simple," Ignitus said, bouncing the ball towards Spyro. "You must get the ball in the opponent's goal, using only your head. In this case, the goal you're trying to get in is the room back to the pool of visions, while the one you're trying to protect is archway to the balcony."

"Heeeeeeeey," Sparx said, crossing his arms. "I can't help but get the feeling that you're cheating us here. Compare that door," he said, fingers held in front of him, mocking the dimensions of the door. "To the massive freaking archway we got to defend!"

Cyril snicker while Ignitus smirked.

"Well, yes, but I am at the handicap of lacking an additional player," Ignitus said, glancing towards Volteer. "Volteer will be defending your goal while Spyro's trying to get the ball into mine, so I'm stuck having to defend it. Think of it more as leveling the playing field, if you will."

"Still feel like we're getting gypped here," Sparx said with a scowl.

"If you want, you can sit this out Sparx." Spyro said, glancing up towards him with a concerned frown. "Besides, with how you struggled to carry it in, you'd probably be crushed if you tried to headbutt it."

Sparx jumped, arms held up in the air as his eyes went wide. "Uh, yeah! Let's, let's  _ not  _ crush-o the Sparx-o! That would be very bad!"

Flying over to Ignitus, Sparx briefly looked back at the gathering of dragons while pointing his thumb towards the inside of the temple.

"In fact, I think I better get out of the hazard zone for my own sake." He said, "I'mma go lay down. My wings are still sore from that little workout my bro forced on me!"

Cynder gave a breathless gasp, backing into the shadows of the room and curling into a ball as Sparx flew by, soaring into the halls while his yellow glow illuminated his path. Taking a deep breath, Cynder began to uncurl, inching her way back to the doorframe.

" _ You were afraid of Sparx?" Spyro asked with a raised scaled brow. _

" _ Could you blame me? Of everyone at the temple, he was the most vocal about not wanting me there." _

" _ Uh, yeah… Sparx has… Never been particularly good at letting go of a grudge. To this day he's still mad about the time I accidentally broke his favorite rattle when we hatchlings." _

" _ Surprised he could remember that far back with that small brain of his." Cynder snorted. _

" _ Cynder… He is my brother." _

" _ I know, just…" Cynder sighed. "Let it be known that if he weren't, he probably wouldn't still have all his wings by now." _

She watched as the game unfolded. Spyro ran headfirst into the ball and set it careening forward. Ignitus proved that he would not miss a beat, quick to lean to the right and smack the ball full force. It flew into the air, soaring through the training grounds and towards Volteer. The electric Guardian was quick on his paws, bouncing the ball towards the right side of the goal. Ignitus lowered his head to catch it, but Spyro darted over quickly, smacking it towards the left of the goal. Cynder quickly pulled her head back, barely avoiding being bopped in the snout by the ball.

"Yeah!" Spyro shouted, a wide gaped smile on his face as he jumped with a twirl.

"Not bad, young dragon." Ignitus said. He briefly glanced back towards the room, a curious brow raised before he turned back to Spyro. "Would you mind getting the ball for me?"

"Sure thing!"

Cynder's eyes went wide. Once again, she backpedaled into the shadows, curling up into a ball.

" _ You know in hindsight, I can't help but get the feeling that Ignitus knew you were there," Spyro said. "He did seem quite distracted, from what I can remember." _

" _ I wouldn't be surprised. He always had an acute sense about him. No matter how much I would often hide away, he'd always seem to find me; encourage me to not hide myself like that…" _

_ Cynder paused, closing her eyes. Spyro leaned forward, rubbing her cheek. _

" _ It would seem I wasn't the only one hurt by his passing…" Spyro muttered with a frown. _

" _ Yeah…" Cynder said. "I really wish I had gotten to know him more… Heeded his advice. He was always such a noble dragon." _

" _ He was," Spyro said. "He really was." _

As Spyro ran into the room, his eyes were quick to land upon the yellow ball of hay. He rushed over, picking it up with a grin. When he turned, he caught a set of green eyes faint in the darkness.

Cynder froze the second he saw her, not daring to make a move as her eyes darted around the room. She focused on the pool of visions, then the random patch of moss on the wall, before finally at the ball in Spyro's paws.

Spyro looked down at it when he took note of her gaze, before looking back up at Cynder with a smile.

"Want to play?" He asked, setting the ball down.

Cynder didn't respond; she kept focusing on the ball. As if, maybe, if she kept doing that, he'd just walk away. Pretend he hadn't seen her. Let her just keep silently observing the merriment unfolding.

"It's really simple," Spyro said, pushing the ball towards her with his head. "You just need to hit the ball with your head. Go on! Give it a try!"

As the ball came to rest in front of her, Cynder's eyes kept darting in between the ball and Spyro, the kind smile never leaving his face. Her mind raced, unsure of how to respond. Slowly, Cynder moved her head forward, tapping the ball with her snout. She pushed it, the ball rolling several inches away before coming to a stop. Spyro chuckled.

"Yeah, like that!" Spyro said, walking over and pushing the ball back towards her.

For several seconds the two stood there, pushing the ball back and forth. It was a slow game of back and forth, but Cynder did start to relax. Her tail and wings didn't cling to her as tight, her legs didn't feel like lead anymore and her eyes started to maintain focus on Spyro with each passing second. She rose up on her paws, nudging the ball back to Spyro. He looked upon her with kind eyes.

"See?" He said, walking over towards her. "So, you wanna join us in this game?"

Cynder paused, glancing away from him with a frown. Gently, Spyro placed his paw on her shoulder with a comforting smile.

"It'll be alright." He said with a nod. "I promise."

Spyro turned towards the door back to the training grounds. He looked back, motioning with his wing to follow him. With tiny steps, Cynder shuffled her way towards the room. The second she stepped in, she could already feel the judging gaze of the Guardians upon her. Cyril's untrusting frown, the tense muscles of Terrador, and Volteer's utter shock. It was only Ignitus who offered her a kindly smile.

"Ah, so I see we finally have another member for the teams." Ignitus playfully remarked.

Cynder looked up. She tried not to frown, yet all she could muster was something in between a worried frown and a neutral expression. Ignitus slowly draped a wing behind her; she tensed up, but the second she did, Ignitus stopped his wing from going any closer. She took a silent, deep breath, heading towards the middle of the arena where Spyro sat.

She felt her heart beat faster as Terrador and Cyril's eyes traced her the entire way as if they were lions about to pounce. She sat down, hunched over while she did her best not to look at them. She kept her gaze locked on the ball as best she could, only briefly stealing a glance at Spyro every few seconds.

"Now then, since I am down a point and Spyro already has played a round," Ignitus said, looking over towards Volteer. "How about Spyro swapping to my team while Cynder is on yours? That way, since she hasn't played yet, she has a point advantage."

Volteer looked at Ignitus with a bewildered gaze, though the second he glanced down at Spyro and Cynder he forced a smile, giving a small nod. Looking at each other, Spyro and Cynder swapped positions, Cynder slinking her steps the entire time. They stood across from each other, the ball in the center.

"Ready…" Terrador said in his graveled voice, paw held aloft in the air. "Set…"

"Go!"

The second Terrador slammed his paw against the temple floor, Spyro quickly batted the ball into the air with his head. Cynder jumped to the right; not to try and catch it, but to get out of the way as Spyro charged forward. Spyro slammed into the ball head first again, sending it speeding towards Volteer. Getting to his hind legs, he batted the ball away from the balcony and back towards Cynder.

She practically froze as it came towards her. She closed her eyes, the distances shortening with every second. She swung her head, the ball bouncing off of her and towards Ignitus. He chuckled; with deliberately slow movements, he mocked moving his head towards the ball, letting it miss by a few inches.

"Well, look at that!" He said with a grin. "You got a goal, Cynder!"

Spyro smirked, giving his mentor a knowing eye while he walked over towards Cynder. She opened her eyes, looking towards Ignitus' goal with a confused gaping maw. The ball had stopped in front of the pool of visions. She stood motionless for a few seconds before a small smile began to creep its way onto her face.

" _ I knew Ignitus likely let me have that goal for the sake of helping me relax a little. Yet, I still couldn't help but feel oddly happy at the sight. When you convinced me to join that game, I was terrified of accidentally hurting someone. Especially when the potential for accidentally headbutting someone in that game is rather high." _

" _ If I recall correctly, though…" Spyro smirked, placing a paw in front of his mouth in a futile attempt to subdue his snickering. _

_ Cynder sighed. "Yeah... I'm… I'm getting to that part. Ignitus' plan did work though. After getting that goal, I felt a lot more at ease. More willing to actively chase the ball than just stand there in the arena and hope it came my way." _

_ A smug smirk creased her face. _

" _ And if I recall correctly, we were completely schooling you eight goals to three." _

_ Spyro huffed, playfully furrowing his scaled brows. "Keep in mind, I scored one of those goals and Ignitus let you have a freebie." _

" _ Sure..." Cynder said with a playfully raised brow. "Keep telling yourself that." _

The training grounds were filled with a hymn of tapping claws, Spyro and Cynder darting across the room with the ball pinging back and forth at the speed of a soaring dragon. Spyro breathed heavily as he took to the air, smacking the ball towards Volteer's goal. Before the electric Guardian could blink, Cynder flew in front of him, bouncing the ball directly towards Ignitus.

Ignitus near fell on the ground to block the ball, sending it high into the air. Spyro ascended to the ceiling of the room, spinning vertical and hitting it with all his might. It careened down like a meteor, smacking the ground and bouncing high over Volteer's head; and directly out over the balcony. Spyro gasped.

"Oh no!" He shouted, darting towards the balcony.

Cynder shot forth in an instant, zooming past Spyro and towards the ball. Just as it flew over the railing, she flew behind it and smacked it hard with her head. It sailed back into the training grounds, bouncing against the floor and ricocheting towards the wall Terrador and Cyril sat at.

"OW!"

Cynder's blood ran cold, her eyes going wide as her limbs started to quiver at the shout of pain.

" _ Yeah… Remember how I was terrified of accidentally hurting someone?" _

_ Spyro placed his paw against Cynder's, practically having to bite his tongue to subdue his giggling. _

" _ Hey. It turned out okay, didn't it?" _

" _ Yeah, but it didn't change the fact that my stomach dropped to my tail in that instant. I legitimately thought I had ruined everything when that ball hit someone; that the Guardians were going to come rushing out with their elements blazing." _

" _ Oh, someone was blazing alright. Thankfully, flames weren't their forte." _

Spyro turned his head back towards the training arena with his jaw hung limp. He looked back up at Cynder, the dragoness near-catatonic while she hovered in the air. He looked back another time at the arena, gliding in the direction of the Guardians. Before he could even open his mouth to apologize for her, Volteer opened his first.

With a roarous laughter.

It rang out far and wide, practically giddy with childlike air. Cynder breathlessly let out a confused huff. It wasn't long before she could hear Ignitus begin to join in the infectious laughter, followed by Terrador and then even Spyro. Cautiously, she hovered down towards the training arena, next to Spyro's side. Her eyes went wide.

Cyril batted his paws against his snout, strains of hay sticking out like a mustache while he spat hay from his maw. Yet more strands twirled around his horn, giving the appearance of short, ragged hair. Cynder paused at the sight, Cyril soon starting to sneeze up a fit. Despite the momentary terror she had felt before, her snout soon crinkled into a small smile at the sight.

She started to giggle, the laughter in the room contagious as it began to soon join in the chorus of merriment of the temple. Cyril let out a low groan, his eyes narrowed in unamusement.

" _ Spyro, please! Stop laughing! You're going to make me start to!" _

_ Spyro took a deep breath, wiping the tear from his eye. "Sorry! After spending three days straight with Cyril though, being reminded of that moment was also something I really needed." _

" _ Anyways," Cynder said with a sigh, a nostalgic smile upon her face. "After Ignitus repaired the ball for us, we continued to play until the evening light. Though the Guardians may have tired, we still kept batting it back and forth…" _

Cynder raced towards the balcony, batting the ball back at Spyro with a large smile on her face. He let out several deep pants, diving forward yet missing the ball by an inch. It sailed towards the room with the pool visions, flying through the doorframe without any resistance. He tried to stand up, only to sit back down on his haunches, his breaths heavy and fast.

"Maybe… A time out please?" He asked between pants. "I just… Need to catch my breath."

"Might as well give it up, Spyro," Terrador said with an amused smirk while he sprawled out on the ground. "Cynder's beaten you pretty soundly here."

" _ He did not say that," Spyro said flatly. _

" _ Hey, who's telling the story here?" _

Cynder walked over towards Spyro. Though she too took deep breaths, her eyes still held an eagerness to keep going. Spyro looked at her with a smile, though his hunched over form made it clear that he was reaching his limit. Ignitus chuckled, getting up and heading towards the pool.

"Come now, young ones," Ignitus said, glancing back towards the two. "It is getting late. You'll need your rest for tomorrow."

" _ Ignitus knew you were getting your tail handed to you." _

_ Spyro huffed, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, little Ms. Headball champion. How about a rematch the next time you hijack me from a lesson?" _

" _ Sure!" Cynder said with a smug grin. "I'd love to win against you again!" _

As the two made their way over towards the pool of visions, Cynder trotted over and grabbed the ball with her paws. She looked up, Spyro and Ignitus already about to exit the room.

"U… U-um…"

Spyro and Ignitus came to a dead stop, looking back towards Cynder as she fiddled her claws against the ball, her gaze focused upon the ground.

"T-t-t…" She stammered. "Th… T-thank you."

Though it was barely above a whisper, Spyro and Ignitus smiled. Spyro walked over towards Cynder with a large grin.

"Anytime." He said.

Cynder glanced up from the ground, looking deep into his kind purple eyes. She smiled, holding the ball tight to herself. After letting the moment run its course, Ignitus motioned with his head for them to follow, a relieved air about him. Spyro was quick on his heels, though he had to stop to catch his breath every few steps. Cynder got up but, before she could join them, she heard a content sigh behind her.

"That was quite nice." Volteer's voice came from the training arena.

"Speak for yourself." Cyril said flatly. "You're not the one still digging hay out of his nostrils."

Both Terrador and Volteer chuckled, drowning out Cyril's low groan.

"I take it you are finally feeling better, Volteer?" Terrador asked in his graveled tone.

"Indubitably so," Volteer said, the reassurance in his voice blanketing all the way to the pool of visions. "I must say, I was quite being selfish in only thinking of one's own fatigue and not towards the future of the next generation. It is the joyous and wondrous moments like today that reminded me of the importance of keeping up our resistance so that the younglings of the future have a world where they could play like that any day they so choose."

"Great." Cyril huffed. "His motormouth is back."

"Oh come now Cyril, must you put a sour note on this otherwise wonderful, stupendous, joyous-"

Cyril let out a loud groan. Cynder chuckled, grasping the ball with her maw before heading back towards her room.

" _ See?" Cynder asked, leaning forward and touching Spyro's snout to hers. "You managed to not only get me to open up more, you also gave Volteer his spirit back when it seemed like he had given up. By being yourself and not because of your scales." _

* * *

She gave him a kiss on the lips, one that was long and sweet like strawberries. The two parted, looking lovingly into each other's eyes.

"I think you would have opened up eventually, though," Spyro said, giving a nod. "I could see it in your eyes. Despite being scared, you still had a longing to be with us. To show them who you really were."

"M-maybe," Cynder said, shaking her head before looking lovingly into Spyro's purple eyes. "But you definitely helped speed it up, just by being you. If not for that, I'd probably still be stuck in that shell I put around myself. Even to this day, I can't help but look into those beautiful eyes of yours and feel determined to be who I really am, despite what some may say."

She chuckled, raising her paw to her lips. "Though, I can't help but wonder if that incident is part of the reason Cyril seems so determined to keep us apart."

"Nah. He's..." Spyro let out a sigh and shook his head. "I know it's not right to speak behind your teachers back, but he is very much full of himself. What should be a three-hour lesson becomes an eight hour one with him at the helms."

Cynder let out a guffaw, her head reeling back while tears of laughter welled in her eyes. Spyro soon too joined in on the roarous amusement, the two leaning against each other with their hearts aflutter. As the laughing died down, Spyro looked at Cynder with a comforting smile.

"Anyways... As we have shown, there are definitely reasons why we love each other, and it's not because of the war." Spyro said with a nod.

Cynder looked at him with a relieved longing in her eyes, giving a nod in response. The two snuggled against each other, content giggles echoing through the cave as the mid-morning sun gave way to the evening light, it's rays pouring into the cave. Cynder looked towards the illuminated walls and gasped, her eyes aglow in awe.

"Spyro! Look!" She said, pointing towards the walls.

Spyro glanced at the cave walls, a painting of a giant dragon standing regally in front of the sun back upon the horizon. Although it was limited to shades of yellow, red, and black, it was etched in such a way to where it added to its design, highlighting the dragons defined chin and giving them a powerful and imposing aura. The linework was smooth; even putting some of the modern artisans of Warfang to shame. Quite possibly the most radiant thing was how the light of the sun made it look as if it were glowing.

Cynder turned her head, more etchings in the walls extending as far back into the cave as the light shone. Pictures of dragons standing victorious over the apes, hunting prey, and celebrating afterward by dancing around a large bonfire. Dragons using their elements not just for self-defense, but give a splendorous highlight to their surroundings. Dragons flying gracefully in the air, riding the breeze with ease.

The two got up from their embrace, walking along the path into the cave with eyes wide.

"These must be ancient," Spyro said, glancing over to Cynder. "I think Cyril might have been talking about this earlier... Before Warfang, before Malefor! Even back then, our ancestors would be drawn to the arts, despite the basic tools available."

Cynder jaw hung open in awe as they walked. She paused, the paintings giving way to various circles on the wall, paw prints in the middle maintaining the color of the cave. She looked back at Spyro with a curious tilt of her head.

"What's with the paw prints?" She asked, motioning towards the wall.

"Nobody's quite sure, honestly," Spyro said, walking over, his scaled brows furled in confusion. "Markings like that can be found all over the world. No matter the element, no matter the culture, no matter the environment, inverted markings of dragons prints can be found in caves almost everywhere."

Spyro raised his paw up, comparing it to the others on the wall.

"I like to personally think it's a sign of community." He said, looking over towards Cynder. "A sign that no matter how apart they may wander, how far they would fly, they would always be connected. For now and forever."

"Amazing…" Cynder said, raising her paw up next to Spyro's. She looked upon several of the prints further down the cave, slowly fading from years of decay. With a frown, she glanced over at him. "It's a shame they aren't gonna last forever. Some are already starting to fade…"

Spyro nodded, looking upon her shimmering black scales in the evening sun. He glanced back at their paws, barely an inch apart. He turned his head towards the other side of the cave, it's wall completely barren, devoid of any contact besides the occasional patch of moss. He smirked, turning around and flying over the flowing river.

"Hey, Cynder! Come here!" He said, a grin upon his face.

Cynder beat her wings, gliding over the gap with a curious glint in her eyes. Spyro placed his paw against the wall.

"Place your paw on the wall." He said, the excitement of a youngling in his voice. "Right next to mine."

Cynder chuckled; she could already see what Spyro had planned. Without hesitation, she placed her paw next to Spyro's. His eyes began to glow a deep green, the stone being pushed away like putty. He looked over to Cynder, a dreamy smirk on her face.

"Now, focus on your element," Spyro said. "And concentrate on a shape. It may sound corny, but-"

Cynder looked over to Spyro with a knowing eye. She gave a nod; to which Spyro nodded in turn. He looked back towards the wall and closed his eyes. Cynder did the same. Around their paws, her part of the wall began to take on an ebony hue, while Spyro's was stained a deep purple. It expanded out, the top breaking off into two curves while the bottom met at a point.

[Removing their paws, Cynder looked on with a shimmer in her eyes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca_XzIqFifY), the heart-shaped by their colors around the imprints of their paws illuminated brightly in the orange hue of the sun. She looked over to Spyro, his purple eyes sparkling in the sunlight. She leaned forward, licking him on the cheek. Spyro chuckled, touching his forehead against hers.

"Let this be a marker." He said, closing his eyes with a smile. "That no matter where we end up, no matter what era we are born into, no matter who we are at the time…"

"... We'll always be together." Cynder said, a single teardrop rolling down her muzzle. "We'll always find each other... and we'll always love each other."

"Always," Spyro said.

Looking back into each other's eyes, they pressed their lips together in a sweet embrace, one that felt like it would last forever. By the time they pulled back, the sun was starting to set upon the horizon. Turning to meet it, Spyro started to exit the cave. He paused, looking back with a warm smile.

"We should probably be heading back now." He said. "Volteer and Cyril are likely still arguing, but Terrador will start to wonder where we are if we aren't in the temple by sundown."

Cynder nodded, heading towards his side with a playful smirk.

"Bet I can beat you back." She said a determined fire in her eyes.

Spyro chuckled, a playful glint in his own eyes. "You're on!"

With that the two dragons spread their wings, rushing out of the cave and taking to the air, both headed towards the silhouette of Warfang, bathed in the light of the sun.

And so the sun eventually set on Warfang, the bright lights of its bustling kingdom eventually going dark. Its gradious pleasure began to chip away. It started small, with a crack or chip there, giving way to fixtures falling to the ravages of time. The wondrous pleasant and hearty smells of the market fading away to the sweet smells of the forest, statues crumbling back to the stone and rock they were made of. Roofs caved in, pillars fell and only a few walls were left where once were homes, overtaken by bushes and vines, mighty trees sprouting from where once was cobbled pathways and wooden floors.

Even Warfang's grand temple couldn't stand the ravages of age. Its impressive spires eventually fell, becoming nothing more than piles of rubble. Rooms and roofs collapsed, leaving only the ground floor where various flowers and bushes began to crack their way through. Where once it sought to reach the heavens, it now was no larger than the scat few stone walls that used to be housing for its long-gone inhabitants.

As for the cave, it experienced many sun ups and sundowns. Bright sunny and warm days offset by cold torrential downpours. The heat and humidity would begin to wear away at the cave paintings, fading and stripping away at them for countless eons, paw prints of those long past falling victims to the passage of time.

Those who stumbled upon it those many years later did everything they could to try to preserve it, but it was to no avail. All they could do was to chronicle them the best they could; take pictures, replicate the drawings and prints on canvas for everyone to see, displayed proudly in the grandest museums they had.

Yet there was one thing that baffled those who studied them to no end.

Despite the ages of wear and tear, despite most of everything having been lost to time... there was one thing that seemed to weather everything thrown at it, its colors still as radiant as the day they were likely painted, completely opposite the wall of drawings...

Two paw prints recessed into the wall… With a heart around them.

Colored in brilliant shades of ebony and royal purple.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy. Hoo boy.
> 
> This one-shot. I’m sure a lot of you who followed the loops or saw my past fics before I had a panic attack and deleted them all sans the loops know, I’ve always been more of a Classic Spyro guy. However, that by no means I don’t like Legend of Spyro! They both have their unique charms and while I may find the charms of the classic series more appealing, I do like the adventurous and fantasy air LoS has going for it.
> 
> Despite this, I have never written anything ‘pure’ LoS. It’s always been a combo of Classic/LoS at most. Decided to finally fix that.
> 
> This was inspired by a Kurzgesart video on our own ancient ancestors and the paintings they drew on the cave walls, including the reverse hand markings that are found all over the world. While that prompted the basic idea for this short story, I suppose I also made it as a way to be a ‘proper’ send off for LoS.
> 
> I’m not gonna sugar coat; I’m pretty sure it’s well known how DotD was rushed to all heck and back, leaving quite a few ‘problematic’ elements for fans to sort through. One thing that always bugged me, personally, was how Spyro and Cynder’s relationship felt like an out of the blue reveal that only happened because the writers wrote themselves into a corner in the confrontation with Malefor. 
> 
> It kind of ruined the ship for me for a long time, as odd as it may sound. They never really showed interest in each other until that exact moment; Cynder was also quite snappy with Spyro throughout DotD. And how Spyro said he had nothing left to fight for, despite having the other Guardians, his own adopted brother and the entire world counting on him… I know you can say it was the stress of that moment that caused him to break, but it still bugs me to this day, and made the relationship have an honestly creepy undertones since it felt like Spyro and Cynder dependant on each other to remain sane; that if the other isn’t around to support them, they’d go off the deep end. Which isn’t a very healthy relationship.
> 
> So, I tried to see if I could slot in any possible moments of them showing interest in each other because of their interactions in between aNB and tEN. Honestly wanted to add more, but this was already starting to get pretty lengthy as is. 
> 
> In my mind, this is how I would end the LoS series. And let me tell you… That ending I ended up writing was actually kind of hard for me to write as odd as it sounds. I think it was a combination of a number of factors; Reignited bringing back the Classic series, making it unlikely we’ll ever see anything more from LoS, the fandom itself seems to be slowly fading away, with not as much fanworks for LoS being made anymore and then there’s the whole topic of the passage of time, which is something that always gets to me.
> 
> I do like the idea that despite everything, there’s a good chance Cynder will stick with the franchise for the rest of its life, regardless of continuity. She was pretty much instantly (and infamously given her first design) ported over to Skylanders and there’s already a very great and detailed fan mod for her in Reignited Trilogy. While she may be a contentious subject among a vocal minority of Classic fans, she still has too many fans for her to truly be left behind.
> 
> Was actually gonna add a stinger with Classic Spyro (implying the series takes place in the future of LoS) meeting a reincarnated Cynder and quickly hitting it off, but decided against it. Besides wanting this to be LoS specific, it didn’t feel right with the radio silence Toys for Bob has had since the Reignited Trilogy dropped. Plus I felt like anything added after the ending would just ruin the momentum it had.
> 
> What do you all think, though? Think Cynder will be added to the Classic games in whatever the next game after Reignited will be? I’d be interested in hearing that.
> 
> Remember to leave a review if you can! Even if it’s something small, it helps motivate me to keep working on fan projects like this one! I’m also working on a general Spyro the Dragon Discord! If you’re interested, feel free to PM me!


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